I dont like the color of the material covering the bench. I was hoping the listing photo was off, but it is a sort of faded pumpkin that doesnt go all that well with the gray tone of the piece (or my room).
For the cost, this is about as good as I could expect. It wont be a family heirloom, but hopefully it will hold up ok. I would like the whole unit to be a few inches taller so that the shoe shelves were a bit higher. My shoes fit ok, but husbands are kind of a squeeze. If youre looking for storage for high top shoes or hiking boots, youll likely be disappointed, only the larger cubby will accommodate them, with room only for one pair.
I like the storage under the lid, it will be nice for gloves and hats when winter weather really sets in. The hinges for the top actually work reasonably well to where accessing the compartment is easily done. The shape of the divots in the top to attach the hinge dont match the hinge all that well, and I think the placement is a little off resulting in the top sitting higher than it possibly is intended. Hopefully this will hold up ok with use.
It took me about 90 minutes to assemble this. The instructions are reasonably clear and the pieces are unique enough that I didnt have any problems getting turned around. A rubber mallet was helpful when I got to the real put it together stage, but the holes aligned reasonably well and nothing had to be redrilled. A few of the cams didnt lock as snugly as I think they should (and they are not great quality). I did not use the nylon feet provided for the bottom. I tried to install the first one and the pin immediately bent, so I applied some felt pads instead of creating pilot holes to make the feet work. Likewise the little plastic tabs intended to keep the back in place / Im going to try some finishing nails instead of the provided screws, which are too big for that purpose and arent going to work well.
You will need a stubby Phillips screwdriver to turn one of the locking cams if you assemble according to the instructions.
The stickers provided to cover the exposed cams and screw heads dont match very well. Better price available for same designs
Functional
I dont like the color of the material covering the bench. I was hoping the listing photo was off, but it is a sort of faded pumpkin that doesnt go all that well with the gray tone of the piece (or my room). For the cost, this is about as good as I could expect. It wont be a family heirloom, but hopefully it will hold up ok. I would like the whole unit to be a few inches taller so that the shoe shelves were a bit higher. My shoes fit ok, but husbands are kind of a squeeze. If youre looking for storage for high top shoes or hiking boots, youll likely be disappointed, only the larger cubby will accommodate them, with room only for one pair. I like the storage under the lid, it will be nice for gloves and hats when winter weather really sets in. The hinges for the top actually work reasonably well to where accessing the compartment is easily done. The shape of the divots in the top to attach the hinge dont match the hinge all that well, and I think the placement is a little off resulting in the top sitting higher than it possibly is intended. Hopefully this will hold up ok with use. It took me about 90 minutes to assemble this. The instructions are reasonably clear and the pieces are unique enough that I didnt have any problems getting turned around. A rubber mallet was helpful when I got to the real put it together stage, but the holes aligned reasonably well and nothing had to be redrilled. A few of the cams didnt lock as snugly as I think they should (and they are not great quality). I did not use the nylon feet provided for the bottom. I tried to install the first one and the pin immediately bent, so I applied some felt pads instead of creating pilot holes to make the feet work. Likewise the little plastic tabs intended to keep the back in place / Im going to try some finishing nails instead of the provided screws, which are too big for that purpose and arent going to work well. You will need a stubby Phillips screwdriver to turn one of the locking cams if you assemble according to the instructions. The stickers provided to cover the exposed cams and screw heads dont match very well. Better price available for same designs